Moffat told the audience, "I truly believe it is a show that could outlive everyone in this room. I truly believe that. The TV show is the mothership of Doctor Who and it will go on forever."

Steven Moffat is also co-creator with Mark Gatiss of Sherlock, a report of which was published by Lesley Lanir on Digital Journal earlier this week.

Doctor Who was first broadcast on British television almost 49 years ago, on 23 November 1963, the day after the assassination of US President John F Kennedy.

Six episodes of the new series, Moffat's third as head writer, will be broadcast this autumn with a further eight due to air early next year. It stars Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.

Smith, who took over the role from David Tennant in 2010, has already revealed that he will continue to play the role throughout 2013, which will see him equal his predecessor's four series.

To date, Tom Baker is the longest-serving Doctor, with seven series. William Hartnell played the First Doctor from 1963 to 1966. The other Doctors were played by Patrick Troughton (Second), Jon Pertwee (Third), Peter Davison (Fifth), Colin Baker (Sixth), Sylvester McCoy (Seventh), Paul McGann (Eighth) and Christopher Eccleston (Ninth).

The 2012 series premiere, Asylum of The Daleks, will be shown on BBC 1 on Saturday, 1 September, in the UK; and on BBC America on Saturday, 8 September in the US.